U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

NREL offers insight into the economic feasibility and key cost drivers of producing chemical intermediates from carbon dioxide (CO2) and electricity across five different conversion pathways.

These data visualizations are a companion to The Economic Outlook for Converting CO2 and Electrons to Molecules, Energy & Environmental Science (2021).

Visualize Key Conversion Metrics

Container filled with microbesMicrobial electrosynthesis

BatteryHigh-temperature electrolysis

BatteryLow-temperature electrolysis

Silver container with a red image on the frontThermochemical conversion

Container with liquidsBiological conversion

3D Illustration showing how carbon dioxide and electricity—directly through microbial electrosynthesis, high-temperature electrolysis, and low-temperature electrolysis and indirectly through thermochemical conversion and biological conversion—produces fuel, chemicals, and plastic precursors.

Developed with funding from the Bioenergy Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy.

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